ARRL Board Approves Minor Changes to Governing Documents

 
The ARRL board of directors voted unanimously at its July meeting to make minor changes to the organization's Articles of Association and By-Laws. According to the ARRL Letter, the changes bring the documents into compliance with current Connecticut law and clarify language regarding individual liability of volunteer and staff officers, directors and vice directors in certain circumstances. Changes to the controversial "code of conduct" for directors and vice directors were not considered. The Executive Committee had previously decided to set up an ad-hoc committee to develop proposed revisions, with its initial recommendations due this fall.

Bye-Bye, OO… Hello, VM

The ARRL is replacing its decades-old Official Observer (OO) program with a new, headquarters-administered, Volunteer Monitor (VM) program to help with rules enforcement on the amateur bands. According to the ARRL Letter, the League board approved the new program at its July meeting. It would make evidence-gathering and coordination of cases the responsibility of ARRL staff, while decisions regarding final actions in individual cases would remain with the FCC. 
 

ARRL Section Managers, who until now had administered the OO programs in their sections and appointed members to serve as OOs, would "continue to be part of the vetting process" for volunteer monitors, but appointment and dismissal authority would rest with a new Volunteer Monitoring Program administrator at League headquarters. Current OOs would not be automatically accredited as VMs, but would have to apply for appointment. In addition, any VM notices mailed to amateurs would be sent by ARRL Headquarters, not by the individual monitors.

Details of the program's organization, training requirements and materials were still being worked out as of press time in early August.

"Parity Act" Language Removed from Defense Bill

The version of the National Defense Authorization Act passed earlier this year by the House of Representatives included language from the Amateur Radio Parity Act (HR 555), which would grant amateurs living in antenna-restricted communities limited rights to erect an outdoor antenna. However, the Senate version of the bill did not contain that language and, according to the ARRL, it was removed in the course of the "conference process" in which differences between Senate and House versions of a bill are resolved before both houses of Congress take a final vote and a bill is sent to the President. 

ARRL Hudson Division Director Mike Lisenco, N2YBB, who has been leading the League's efforts to get the parity act passed, said he was disappointed but noted that other options remain, either for passing the bill on its own or for including its language in other, larger, pieces of legislation.